Chaos of the Unknown
by The Book Worm Assassin
Summary: Civil War is brewing among the Gods. Will Annabeth figure out what they are fighting about? Can Percy stop the World War that is coming? Annabeth is a Hunter now. Percy is an agent off-world. What will happen to them? Only Chaos knows. R&R appreciated
1. Chapter 1

"Can I get you anything else?" the kind waiter asked.

"No," Thalia told him. "I think we're good. You want anything else Annabeth?" She asked me.

I shook my head dejectedly.

"She wants a big bowl of ice cream." Thalia said. The waiter moved on, checking on some other guests.

"I hope you plan on eating that yourself." I stared absently at my spoon. "I'm stuffed."

She ignored me. "Have you looked at yourself lately? You look like a wreck. A guy who just went swimming through oil would look better than you." Thalia wasn't very good in the cheering up department.

"Thanks."

Thalia shook her head. "That's not what I meant. You can't keep going on thinking like that."

"Thinking like what?"

"That he's still alive. That kind of thinking is dangerous for a Hunter of Artemis." Thalia warned me. She looked extremely worried.

"I can't help it Thalia. I miss him. And I know he's out there." I remember the light, the finality of the boom.

"It's been a year since the accident." She reminded me, like I needed that reminder. I wished I could forget all of it ever happened.

"We burned his shroud. We didn't bury his body."

"If he was still alive, he would've called you, found you, something. But he hasn't." Thalia looked down, her eyes watery. The waiter came back with a bowl filled to the brim with ice cream. Whipped cream and a cherry crowned the top. "He was my friend too." She said, barely audible.

The bowl sat on the table between us, neither of us wanting anything to do with it. The ice cream melted, untouched, spilling over the edge of the bowl. I left money on the table, much more than the bill was, but I didn't really mind. It was Artemis' money, and she could make the stuff appear out of thin air.

"Come on," Thalia said as we walked out. "We only got a couple hours to enjoy the Big Easy."

"We could go to a graveyard." I suggested.

"What?" Thalia face twisted into surprise. "You want to go to a graveyard?"

"Yes." I looked at her. "They bury their dead above the ground here. The mausoleums are supposed to be magnificent." I didn't tell her the real reason I wanted to go. Sure the tombs were beautiful, but there was someone I was hoping I would run into. A long shot, but I was willing to take it.

Thalia shook her head. "In the middle of New Orleans, and you want to go to a graveyard. Why am I friends with you again?" And she took off towards the river. I followed.

It was nearly dusk by the time we made it to the wrought iron fence that surrounded the graveyard. It was my fault. I stopped at every building, admiring the facades and architecture. New Orleans was a city built by history. You could see every age of history here, from old Creole huts, to soaring Greek columns, even the modernist view of towering skyscrapers. It wasn't New York, or Gods forbid Athens, but it was close. Thalia was getting annoyed, but she continued to humor me. I took advantage of it.

"Here we are," Thalia said sarcastically. "The awesome graveyard."

I ignored here and walked inside. The sun had just touched the horizon. Bugs swarmed in the muggy air. It had been a hot day and the humidity was killer. It was like trying to breathe in water.

Rows of graves populated the small plot of land. Some were simple, nothing more than a stone coffin. Others were more elaborate, fifteen foot rooms with decorated coffins inside. A stone lion sat atop one of the graves, guarding the dead inside. I looked around the graveyard, not really looking at the coffins. One had a caduceus emblazoned on its lid. The inscription read Will Statham 1994-2009. Below the date it said S.O.H. Mortals could stand here all day and only guess at what it means, but I understood. Here lay a Son of Hermes. It reminded me of Luke, and the thought wrenched my heart.

"So this is what you wanted to do on your day off." Thalia wiped dust off the tomb with her finger. "Come look at dead people."

"I wanted to look at the buildings." I corrected her.

"Which are full of dead people." She continued.

"I like the place," I said sheepishly. I moved on to another grave.

I explored the rest of the graveyard, but never found what I was looking for. Thalia was getting impatient. Despite the punk rock and strange t-shirts she wore, graveyards didn't seem to be her style. To be honest, the place was starting to give me the creeps too. It was time to leave, and I hadn't seen any sign of the person I was looking for. I was sure he would be here.

Thalia came over. It was starting to get dark, and she was getting nervous. Monsters loved the dark, and they would love finding two half-bloods to eat even better. We couldn't stay any longer if we didn't want a fight.

The wind picked up. "We should leave." I looked over my shoulder.

"Ya," Thalia said, glancing back. "I think that might be a good idea."

We were near the exit when I heard something scuffle behind us. I thought something moved in the shadows, but when I looked back, there was nothing there. I thought I heard a surprised yelp, but with the wind blowing, I couldn't be sure.

Thalia looked back at me with concern. "What is it?"

"I thought… I thought I saw something." I looked at the spot more intently, but all I saw was the side of a tree. Its' branches were whipping in the wind. "I guess it was nothing."

Thalia didn't look convinced, but I could tell she didn't see anything either. "Come on," she said. "Artemis will be waiting."

I looked up at the moon, her symbol, before trudging off behind Thalia.

We got to camp around 10 or 11 at night. Most of the hunters were already asleep. A few were up, sitting around the campfire. Our newest member, Kelly, from Washington, milled around the wolves, feeding them scraps. She looked up at me when we came in and smiled. For some reason, she seemed to look up to me.

Kelly smiled. "I still can't get over this. I'm feeding _wolves_." A pure white timber wolf delicately ate the piece of meat out of her hand. "My dog at home wasn't even this gentle." She said in amazement.

I managed a small smile, though all I really wanted to do was go to bed. "They're pretty tame. Just don't make them mad."

She looked up with concern. "What happens if you do that?"

Thalia spoke up. "Let's just say it can get really messy." She gave Kelly a knowing smile.

Kelly pulled her hand back on instinct. The wolf whimpered until she gave it another slice of meat. "Um, how messy?"

"I don't think you should have anything to worry about." Thalia gave her smile, but it wasn't a friendly one. "Yet."

Thalia walked into camp. I lounged around for a bit more, petting a couple of the wolves. "They like it when you scratch under their chins."

Kelly didn't look like she believed me. "Thalia. She… She was kidding." She looked at me expectantly. "Right?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Can't really tell with her." I surprised a smile. "She's real mysterious."

She gave me another look but I couldn't keep the smile down. "That wasn't funny." She finally said.

I chuckled a little bit. "Thalia is the coolest person I know." Next to Percy, Thalia was my best friend. I didn't think it was possible to find a better friend. I knew I wouldn't even try.

I looked at Kelly more closely. She had her shoulder length blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. She wore her silver parka, and beneath that was a t-shirt with a band name I had never even heard of. Her blue eyes sparkled, and if I had to guess, I would've said she was a daughter of Aphrodite.

She had been wandering through the woods when she stumbled on our camp. We had been hunting a drakon that had been terrorizing the locals. Artemis took to her almost immediately, and Kelly had hardly hesitated. She recited the oath within minutes of learning about our world. With the look on her face, you could tell she was still getting used to the whole 'monster and gods' thing.

I secretly thought she doubted the legitimacy of Artemis being a goddess. I couldn't blame her. When I met my first monster, I didn't believe it either.

"What's it like?" She asked.

The question caught me off guard. "What?"

"Being a hunter. What is it like?" She gestured around at the silver tents, the wolves, everything about this place. "What's it like to live in a world of Gods and Monsters?"

"It's not fun," I told her. "You have to fight for your life almost everyday. I would like to know what it was like to have a normal life." I trailed off.

"Having a normal life isn't what it was cracked up to be. Back home, there was barely anybody who noticed me, recognized I was alive. I wasn't picked on or yelled at or anything tragic I suppose. But nobody acted like I existed." She looked across the woods. The pain in her voice was clear, like it had happened just last night. I guess a couple weeks weren't much of a difference though. "At least here I feel like I matter. Like I'm apart of something bigger than myself. I'll finally get the chance to change the world." She looked at me helplessly.

I didn't know what to tell her. What she said had sounded eerily close to the second Titan War. _I _had mattered. _I _made a choice that changed the world, and for that opportunity my entire world had been ripped apart and set on fire. My heart had been broiled over an open flame, dunked in a freezing river and then rocketed into the sun. I never wanted to go through that again. Fate, of course, took that as a challenge.

"I know how you feel," I promised. "And don't worry; you have all the time in the world now. Immortality does that for you."

She gave me a small smile, which I was relieved about. I wasn't any good with this stuff. Giving life advice wasn't really my specialty.

I stood up, getting ready to walk back. "I'm, uh, going to go to sleep now." It came out awkwardly. "Long day."

"I'm afraid it will get much longer tonight." A voice behind me said. "I have some things to discuss with you."

I turned. Artemis was right behind me. Kelly jumped in surprise and knelt hastily. The Goddess gave her a motherly smile. "There is no need for that. We are a family. Not a kingdom." Artemis gave her another soft smile like she knew what Kelly had just told me. "Come," she turned to me. "We should talk."

She led me inside her tent. Stuffed animals heads hung low from the walls. A bear pelt covered the floor, and the fur was extremely soft on my feet. Thalia stood at the base of Artemis' chair, an annoyed look on her face.

"It's the Gods." Thalia rolled her eyes in disgust. "They are at it again."

"They're fighting again? What is it this time?" They had almost been destroyed by the Titans, and now they were trying to destroy themselves. You'd think after Kronos they would have realized they have bigger problems than each other. Guess not.

"I fear it is worse than just their normal bickering. My family does love to argue for some reason, but this is the brink of war." Artemis sat down heavily on her chair, startling the silver deer resting by it. "If something is not done, I fear they will ignite another World War."

"Please don't tell me Zeus' lightning bolt was stolen. _Again_." Thalia sighed.

I had to hold back a snicker. Thunder rumbled overhead. "Maybe someone stole his diary," I suggested. Lightning crackled. Close.

"I wouldn't tease the King of the Gods, Annabeth, even if you are under my protection." Artemis glared pointedly at me.

"Sorry," I mumbled, though I wasn't very sorry.

"But it is neither of those things. I do not yet have an idea to what it is. Only the three brothers, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades know, and it knowledge they are not sharing. Poseidon has demanded Hades offspring."

"Nico?!" I took a step back. That's why I didn't see him.

"What in Hades does Poseidon want with Nico?" Thalia yelled.

Artemis shook her head sadly. "The Son of Death has knowledge Poseidon wants. Both Zeus and Hades have refused the demand, though I suspect it is not for the same reason. I believe Hades wishes to protect his son. Nico will no doubt be hidden in the Underworld for his own safety. As for Zeus, there is a darker reason, but I do not know what it is."

I must go to Olympus for the meeting. Hopefully while I am there I can uncover whatever it is they are fighting about. And hopefully stop the war before we destroy ourselves." Artemis stood, putting her hand on Thalias' shoulder. "You are in charge of the Hunters while I am gone. Do as I would do."

Thalia bowed. "Yes, milady."

Artemis turned to me. "I want you to investigate this with Thalia. Hopefully we can burn this wick at both ends. I trust you to do your best. Both of you."

"You want us to… to investigate the Gods?" I asked, dumbfounded. "What happens when they find out?"

"I have a feeling they would incinerate you." Artemis said matter-of-factly. "I will do my best to make sure that does not happen. Lead the Hunters to camp. I will let Chiron know you are coming. He will also make sure they stay there, with the exception of you two. You may come and go as you please."

"As… As you wish, milady." I bowed.

Thalia followed my example. "We'll figure it out." She promised.

Artemis gave us a moony smile, bright and full. "Remember, this is centered around Poseidon. He is at the center of this. It is about something that is his, or _was_. I must leave you now."

Artemis started to glow and Thalia and I turned as she went supernova, leaving behind the smell of winter. It was refreshing in the dead heat of August, at least for a second.

I turned to Thalia, who looked flustered. "You know where we should start." I said.

"Yes," she nodded. "We're going to have to find Nico."

**To anyone who can figure out what they were talking about, kudos to you. I dropped a some hints, but didn't make it super obvious.**

**Also, a small cameo from the End of Time, if you've read that. But oh well.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Percy Jackson!" The herald called. "Step forward."

I did as I was told, stepping up to the podium that sat at the end of the great hall.

Chaos turned to look at me. Now what did he look like? I guess I couldn't really

tell you. I was looking at the physical embodiment of what existed before the universe. He, or she really, was older than shapes. Shapes weren't even a thought when he began. So he could appear as whatever he wanted. Now-a-days, he preferred to appear to people as the image that made them the most comfortable, maybe an old man with a white flowing beard, or a parental figure. He even appeared to have some of the traits of the person you loved the most, as disturbing as that might be sometimes.

Today though, he looked like a teacher. He had curly brown hair, graying at the edges. His eyes were soft and kind, but when he looked at you, he seemed to be able to tell who you were on the inside, not just whatever exterior you were displaying. He had on a brown tweed jacket and jeans. If I walked into a school and saw him in the halls, I would have figured he was a history teacher or something, which he probably would have been. He was there.

I stood in front of him. He looked down at me and smiled. "For the dedication you have shown for this Order, and the willingness others have shown in following your lead, I have decided to award you a promotion." Chaos announced. A servant ran over, holding a wreath of laurels on a padded pillow. "From here on forward, you, Percy Jackson, shall lead the Knights of Mine. They shall follow your orders as they do my own." Chaos gingerly took the wreath, placing it on my head. "Stand, Percy Jackson, as the new Suzerain of the Knights of Mine."

I stood, turning to face those behind me. They weren't very many of us. A couple dozen at most. It seemed like insignificant compared to what the hall was built to hold. From where I stood at the top of the podium you still couldn't see the double doors at the end. Two rows of pillars marched down the hall, soaring up to the roof it held above. The hall was built to hold a small city at least. We certainly didn't have that many.

Chaos put his hand on my shoulder. "I hope I have chosen my champion well."

"Me too," I said. "Me too."

"I am sorry to tell you your celebration will be short-lived." He said sadly.

"Why is that?" I looked at him.

"You must go home." His expression looked pained, like every word hurt. "Olympus needs you one more time. I am sorry."

I took a step back in shock. "You want me to help them?" I spat. "After what they did to me? To her!?"

"I know why you do not want to help, but this is a task you and I cannot ignore. Your Gods will rip your world apart in their civil war. I can no longer sit idly by while your kind destroys itself. Enough have died already."

"Forget it." I waved him off. "I'm not helping the Gods any longer. I saved them once, and they paid me back in pain and suffering. And you want me to do it again?"

"If you ignore this, millions will die. Do not think Zeus will spare any. You know personally what he will do to those he thinks opposes him. And what side, do you imagine, will he believe your parents will take?" Chaos warned. "If you do nothing, what will happen to those you care about?"

I sighed, defeated. "Is it really like I have a choice?"

"You could ignore the situation. It will resolve itself, sooner or later, possibly even without bloodshed. But that is a long-shot. You can stay here with the Knights of Mine, but doing so would almost certainly mean destruction for mankind."

I slumped down on the steps, suddenly feeling drain and exhausted. It seemed the world always had something wrong with it, and I had to do something about it. I guess the last year had been uneventful, at least for me, but it felt like a short break. Once again, I had to save the world. It was getting old.

He looked at me. Chaos looked genuinely sorry for my fate. "I'm afraid, Percy Jackson, that once again you do not have much of a choice."

The second I got back to my room, I slumped down on the bed. Emotions swirled around inside of me like a hurricane. I didn't know what I should be feeling. Angry? Happy? Sad? My mom would be happy to see me I guess. But going back. Going back would stir memories I would rather forget and be done with. I never heard another thing from any of my friends after… after what happened. After Annabeth-

Someone knocked on the door. I sat up, annoyed. "Come in," I said finally.

Aly poked her head in. "Are you doing okay?"

"Ya," I frowned. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you looked like you wanted to hit something earlier." She came in, closing the door silently behind her. Her long black hair was tied up in a bun and she was still dress in our formal robes, made from black silk. They were absolutely the most uncomfortable thing I had ever worn.

"Chaos told me where we're going next." She said. "Do you want to talk about it?"

No, I thought bitterly. I don't want to talk about it. But Aly was too stubborn for her own good. I knew she wouldn't leave until she got something out of me.

But I still said "No."

"You shouldn't keep everything bottled up forever." She sat down on the bed next to me. "You can tell me."

I studied her, trying to gauge what I should say next. "I guess I just miss her."

"Who?" Aly asked. "Your mom?"

I was going to say _No, _but the word got stuck in my throat. I couldn't get it out. So I just shook my head.

She gave me a smile. "I'm sure she misses you too. You haven't left once since you got here." I must've of done something because she looked at me with concern. "Um, does she know you're here?"

"What? Oh, ya." I glanced at the picture on my bed stand. "Ya she knows I'm here. She was the one who convinced me to come. She said that I needed some time to just get away. I guess she was right. She usually is." I said quietly.

"But you kinda wondered what would have happened if you stayed, I'm guessing." Aly said it like she had thought that too. I looked at her in amazement. Aly was pretty stubborn most of the time, but she was pretty darn smart, too. She could read people like books when she wanted too.

"Ya sometimes." I finally answered. I was starting to feel uncomfortable with this conversation. "I, uh, need to do some, uh, things." I tried. Cut me some slack. I wasn't exactly the smoothest guy in the world.

Aly seemed to take the hint. "Oh, uh, ya sure. I should probably go get ready anyways." She gave me a small smile. "It was nice talking to you Percy."

"Um, ya. Nice talking to you too I guess."

She walked out, shutting the door behind her.

After she left, I went back to lying on my bed. But I couldn't get comfortable. I kept moving, switching positions. Eventually I got up and started pacing the room, but it didn't do much to help either. I kept thinking back to what she said. What would have happened if I didn't leave?

Nico, Grover, Thalia, Tyson. I never heard from any of them after the accident. No one visited me. Not even my father, though I guess I wasn't too surprised by that. But still, not even got a get well card. And for the first time in a long time, I thought about the day Chaos had paid me his first visit.

I had managed to get up the stairs to our apartment in Manhattan with Pauls' help. The moment we reached the door, it flew open and my mother tackled me with a hug.

"Oh, I'm so glad your home!" She nearly crushed the life out of me.

"Ow! Ow! Owww!" I cringed. "The ribs. The ribs."

She finally let go, letting me breath again. "I'm just so glad your home again." She said exasperated. "I was so worried you would never get to leave the hospital." She hugged me again, not so intense this time, thank the Gods.

Paul patted my shoulder on the way in. "Your mother was worried sick about you."

"I couldn't tell," I replied.

"I guess that'll be the last time I let you borrow my Prius. At least I won't have to worry about those dents in the hood." Paul gave me a small smile.

He was trying to cheer me up, but all he did was make me feel ten times worse. It wasn't just the car that I had destroyed. I tried to move into the kitchen where my mom was making me something to eat. I hardly made it a couple steps before I stumbled. If Paul hadn't been there, I would now being laying on the ground, and I doubted I would've been able to get up.

"You should take it easy for awhile." Paul said gently.

I shook my head. "I've been in bed for two weeks already. I need to move around. I hate being cooped up like this." I tried to take another step.

Paul laughed as he helped me off the couch. "A bed would be good for you right now. I'll tell your mother you went to your room."

I told him ok, even though the last thing I wanted to do was 'take it easy'. After doing nothing but sit in a hospital bed for the last two weeks, I didn't want to spend anymore time lying down. But the second my head hit the pillow, I passed out.

I don't remember how long I was out. As far as I was concerned, it could've been a couple hours, or a couple weeks. Someone knocked on the door, waking me up. I remember thinking that was weird. I could hardly hear the doorbell ring from my room, let alone a knock on the door.

My door was closed, but I heard the man at the door speak clearly.

"Hello Sally Jackson. It is good to meet you." The man said.

I heard my mom give a strangled yelp. "Who… Who are you?"

The guy mused over her question. "Who am I? Well that is difficult to define. I am many things, and I am nothing. But what I am? That is much simpler. I am the beginning and the end. The master and the servant. The Alpha and the Omega." He chuckled. "However, you may call me Chaos. I find it is much simpler. And much easier on the tongue."

My mother didn't reply. I wasn't surprised. I was still trying to figure out if he was speaking English.

"Have… Have we met before?" My mother managed.

"No we have not." He replied.

"Then why do you look…" she started.

"So familiar?" Chaos offered. "I can take any form I choose, but I prefer to choose the form that you are comfortable with. It can be unnerving at first. But I am not here to see you. I have a proposal for your son."

"Percy?" My mother asked, completely surprised. "what do you want with him?" By this time I had made it out to the hallway. Chaos stood just inside the doorway. He looked just plain weird. He had the traits of everyone I knew and it kept shifting. Thalias' spiked hair, Nicos' pale skin, Tysons' build, Grovers' Rasta cap… Well you get the point. Everyone I missed.

When he looked at me, I nearly fainted. His gray eyes startled me. I never thought I would see those eyes again. My heart started running a marathon in my chest.

He turned and spoke to me in an ancient, powerful voice. "I would like to offer you a chance at a new opportunity, if you would accept, Percy Jackson. A life in the Knights of Chaos."

**If you can figure out what Percy and Annabeth are referring to in the last two chapters, you are ****_good_****.**

**With Annabeth in the Hunters, and Percy a servant of Chaos, how is Percabeth going to survive?**

**But first, Annabeth and Thalia are going to have to figure out how to get to Nico.**


End file.
